TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Advanced nursing degrees are within easier reach for local registered nurses through a new Internet-based partnership between Snead State Community College and The University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing.

Representatives from Snead State and UA will formalize the agreement during a partnership signing ceremony March 5 at 2 p.m. in the lecture hall of the Health Science Building on Snead State’s Boaz campus.

Those attending the ceremony will include Dr. Robert Exley, president of Snead State; Dr. Allen Champion, vice president, Snead State; Dr. Greg Chapman, dean of academic services at Snead State; Susan Carroll, director of health sciences at Snead State; Dr. Sara Barger, dean of UA’s Capstone College of Nursing; Dr. Jeanette VanderMeer, assistant professor in the Capstone College of Nursing and coordinator of the program, known as RN Mobility; and Darlene Bray, a Boaz resident who serves on the College’s Board of Visitors.

VanderMeer said the agreement provides registered nurses with a flexible avenue for continued education, including specific opportunities for the nurses to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and/or a Master of Science in Nursing degree. It also improves communication between local entities and UA, she said.

Through the use of the Internet, nurses can complete the required nursing courses for the BSN degree in one year, without facing the restrictions of being in class on a specific time and day. Instead, RN students have the flexibility of choosing the best time to go online and complete the requirements. Clinical activities are designed on an individual basis, and efforts are made to arrange locations and times convenient to students.

UA has established similar partnerships with 10 other community colleges and universities and six clinical agencies.

For more information, contact the UA Office of Nursing Student Services at 205/348-6639 or 1-800-313-3591, or Snead State Community College at 256/593-5120.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.